How do I set up a SIHI liquid ring pump?

[madmapler]

I have a sihi 2 stage pump and have no idea how to I'm supposed to cycle liquid through it. I looked at past posts and have a pretty good handle on cooling systems/methods but where do I connect my coolant lines to? There is a valve on what I believe is the inlet side(The shaft end) and theres a plug just below it but no port on the exhaust end. I'm considering a closed loop system but I have no experience with these whatsoever. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[wiam]

I do not know Sihi specifically. But coolant comes out the exhaust on my Atlantic.

[delivron]

Carl Lapierre does an excellent job of describing your pump and setup recommendations.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4djFr40JmQ

If you have a nearby stream that can be an excellent source of cold water. Us 1/2 of an RO filter can be used to keep your water source clean!

[madmapler]

I get it. So I have to have the exhaust higher than my tank so I can channel the water back into it. When guys use radiators or pipe loops do they first have to run into some sort of separation chamber or tank and let it feed into the system? I'm assuming the inlet provides suction thus creating circulation. Thanks.

[Gone Maple]

I have an SIHI pump in 1 of my pump houses. I have a 100gal tank that sits right under it. there is an 1/2" pipe that goes feed the water into the pump from the tank. the out port goes up 8 feet to a water /air separator that I made out of 4" pvc with 1 1/2 in tee with air on top and water falls to the bottom then it lets the water to cool on an 100' loop that dumps back it to the tank. on 55degrees days at 24.5 in vacuum my water did not get above 110 degrees. hope this helps and good luck

[cavanmaple]

we run a 3404 sihi single stage on about 425 taps, these are great pumps, require very little maintenace aside from the water and pull amazing vacuum. mine is mounted beside my recirculated water tank. I run a 1/2" water line out of my tank and into the side of my pump. being single stage it only has 1 inlet on side of pump body and 3 drains on bottom. my exhaust/water is 1 1/2 abs pipe that comes out of the top of pump (about 20") with a 90 degree fitting and second piece of pipe and blows water exhaust back into tank. i use a retired milk tank for the water (about 125 gallons of water). I never seem to have the problem of water heating up enough to loose vacuum. I find durning the season on cold nights it will make ice on top of tank (enough to need a hammer to smash a hole through i) and i will put water suction line back into the tank though hole. I do get nervous on cold night about freezing pump, we faifthfully drain the pump every night unless it is a great run and goes all night. other little downfall with mine is it does need to be primed. I have a T fitting at pump water inlet with a pipe plug in the top which i will spin out every day and fill with about 1/2 gallon of water, start pump and it picks up water from tank no problem. while initally fooling with my sihi to work i tried feeding it gravity force fed water. it never pulled good vacuum being gravity forced water, found it worked the best sucking/drawing water. As the above comments these are great pumps, lapierre really seems to push them now. Carl Lapierre does a really good demo on them as per video. My dealer said also with these pumps there is no need to run a humidity trap, i never have and never had a problem. I wouldn't suggest running antifreeze, my extractor is about 10' from pump/water and don't feel comfortable having sap and antifreeze in a tank right beside each other....

[madmapler]

Thanks all for your input. I think I've got it figured out. I just picked up another sihi 2 stage on ebay tonight for $199. Its a smaller one but perfect for one of my bushes.:)

[maple2]

we have a 5hp sihi. for cooling we have two cage tanks hooked together about one third of the way down. we draw cold water from the bottom of one tank and discharge into the to of the other. the pump sits on top of the tanks. my pump also has a 5/16 nipple on the end of pump that allows me to suck cold water from a brook 100ft away